This is a real little gem of a speedy supper. It's our good old humble and well-loved staple Mac N Cheese, but poshed up just a tad with smoked salmon and fresh dill. Something that I like to think is quite possibly worth bragging about, and definitely worth eating. Oh, and did I mention that it can be steaming and on the table in 20 minutes tops?
Ingredients:Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C. In a medium-sized pot on the stovetop cook the macaroni in salted boiling water according to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain the pasta and then mix through the remaining ingredients.
2. Spoon the macaroni mixture into two ramekins, or one small shallow oven-proof dish and bake at 200C until golden. Serve as soon as possible.
]]>Chicken is generally the go-to dish for those who want something quick and easy for dinner or for those who just don't know what they want, but I find that when people cook chicken breasts in the oven they're often dry and overdone. The best way to ensure that the chicken stays moist is to crumb it. Simple and tasty, it works every time. Wrapping the breasts in Proscuitto or bacon also works but I don't think it works as well. I've added a little Mediterranean Delicacies Parmesan to the crumb which gives a beautiful robust flavour and means there's no need for extra salt. Bravisimo
Ingredients:Method:
Preheat the oven to 180*C.
Put the bread slices, Mediterranean Delicacies parmesan and parsley into a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb, then pour onto a large plate.
Whisk the egg and pour onto another large plate.
Take the chicken breasts, one at a time, and dip them into the whisked egg and then into the parmesan crumbs - pushing the breasts into the crumbs to ensure that they stick.
Lay the breasts into a baking dish side-by-side and sprinkle over any remaining crumbs.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, to check if they're done either: press the breasts with your finger (careful not to burn), they should be the same firmness all over OR cut a slice down the thickest part of the largest breast, if it's white all the way through then they're done.
Serve with salad and lemon wedges.
]]>The rostis are surprisingly easy to make and require all of 4 ingredients. They also cook really quickly because of their size so if you have to feed a crowd, simply get two frying pans nice and hot and you can cook double the amount of rostis in half the time. I didn't use a specific recipe so I'm just going to walk you through the process. For every 2, large potatoes, you will need half a red onion and 2 tablespoons of flour. Simply grate the potatoes (I leave the skin on) with the red onion. Add the flour and a generous seasoning of salt and mix well. Fry spoonfuls of the mixture in a hot frying pan in canola oil until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with dollops of Mediterranean Delicacies Taramosalata, finely sliced chilli and a mini-mint leaf. Be sure to serve these petite pleasures with lots of bubbly!
]]>There is something very magical about preparing a Moroccan tajine. It's an almost therapeutic process; building up layer upon layer of flavour and spices to create a dish with rich complexity. But that's not what I believe makes it so special; the magic lies in the vessel (also called a tajine) which is traditionally used to prepare the recipe - a clay terracotta bottom and dome-shaped lid designed for no other purpose. And that of course only serves to give its preparation a sense of occasion.
Ingredients:Method:
Make the keftas by mixing all the ingredients together and shaping them into sausages.
Heat a little oil in a pan and brown them on all sides (they don't need to be cooked through) and set aside.
For the sauce, heat a little olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft.
Add the tomatoes, spices, dates and chilli and simmer gently.
Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and olive oil and place under a hot grill until golden brown and soft.
Wrap each kefta in the aubergine slices and place the parcels into the sauce.
Simmer, covered for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with couscous, minted yoghurt, pomegranate rubies and toasted pine nuts.
TIP To make your own Moroccan spice blend, mix 1/2t each of ground cinnamon, cumin, fennel, nutmeg and paprika and store in a sealed jar.
]]>Phyllo pastry is one of those ingredients that I always have tucked away in my freezer. You can transform just about any ingredient into a super impressive and moreish meal by layering it with lashings of butter and wrapping it up in the flaky pastry. These nutty pastries are inspired by a Moroccan favourite called m'hencha which means 'the serpent'. It's crispy coils hide a sweet orange-scented almond filling doused in a generous drizzling of honey. Replace the orange-blossom water with rose water and top with crystallized rose petals or rose syrup or swop out the almonds for ground pistachios for something special. Served with a simple glass of mint tea, it's an exotic teatime treat that will transport you to a bustling Middle Eastern market with platters piled high with flaky phyllo delicacies.
Ingredients:Method:
Combine the almonds, sugar and cinnamon.
Add the flower water, half of the butter and the egg yolks.
When combined chill for about 1 hour to firm.
Divide the almond mixture into eight portions.
Brush a phyllo sheet with butter and place another on top. (Cover the remaining sheets with a damp cloth to avoid them drying out).
Cut each sheet lengthwise into 3 long strips.
Place one portion of the almond mixture along a thin line along the one edge of the phyllo and roll it up, brushing the end with egg white to make it stick.
Roll the phyllo roll into a coil like a snake then arrange on a lined or greased baking sheet, making sure that the coils don't unravel.
Repeat with the remaining phyllo and almond mixture.
Brush the top with butter and bake at 190°C for 30 minutes or until golden.
Paint immediately with the warm honey.
Serve with mint tea, if desired.
TIP: This is a great opportunity to use up all the rough ground almonds leftover from making macarons!
]]>
This recipe is perfect for a light lunch with family, friends of even to spoil your partner. I always wanted to use the combination of rosemary, anchovies and olives together in one recipe. The caramelized onions balance the saltiness of the olives and anchovies perfectly which results in the most sensational feast in your mouth with each bite! And to top it off, this is so easy and quick to make.
Ingredients:Method:
Blind bake pastry in tart case at 180C for 15 minutes
Turn heat down to 160C
Fry onion and rosemary in butter
When onion is just about soft add sugar and chopped garlic and continue frying till onion caramelizes, remove from heat
Mix egg yolks and mascarpone well
Now layer onions, then anchovy fillets and pour mascarpone mix over
Press olives into filling
Bake for 25 minutes or till set
]]>I love a good hamburger, perfectly grilled on the outside, medium to rare and juicy on the inside on soft sesame buns with crispy lettuce and tomato......simple but oh so good! Of course you can add flavor and texture to your burger, but if you use good quality meat, you are more than halfway there. Even a good chicken burger now and then, gets my attention, but the king of burgers for me, has to me a lamb burger. It is just in a different league! The flavor for me is just amazing, maybe because the flavor really is in the fat..... oh alright it is Braai Day, relax a little and just eat it, ok!
Ingredients:Method:
Squeeze the water out of the bread and together with all the other ingredients, place it in a mixing bowl.
Gently mix everything together and form it into 10 patties patties/burgers.
Heat your griddle pan or barbecue until it is smoking hot and grill the burgers to perfection.
Serve on mini buns with fresh lettuce and humus or as is with a dollop of humus and caramelized onions.
]]>This cheesecake has a light and soft texture infused with the delicate flavour of South African rooibos and vanilla halva. To finish a thick, sweet caramel sauce, crisp honeycomb and for good measure some more flaked Mediterranean Delicacies Vanilla Halva.
Ingredients:Method:
Stir the melted butter into the crushed biscuits and mix well.
Press the biscuit mixture into the bottom of a round 22 cm baking pan which has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Refrigerate.
Place the milk into a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
Turn off the heat and add the rooibos teabags.
Steep for 10 minutes, remove the bags and leave the milk to cool.
Place the eggs and the caster sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Whisk on high speed until the mixture is pale and thick.
Add the cream cheese, one tub at a time.
Reserving about 50 g for the topping, crumble the Mediterranean Delicacies Vanilla Halva into the mixture and beat until combined.
Stir in the rooibos milk. Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base and bake the cheesecake in an oven that has been preheated to 180?C for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150?C and bake for a further 50 minutes or until the cake is set.
The cake should not be firm or hard but rather have a soft and stable wobble.
Cool the cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.
To make the caramel sauce, place the sugar and the water into a heavy bottomed medium sized saucepan.
Stir over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Stop stirring and bring the sugar syrup to the boil.
Boil continuously for about 6 minutes or until the sugar colour changes to a light deep caramel.
Remove from heat immediately.
Allow to cool for a few minutes and then carefully whisk in the cream a little at a time. (Take care as the sugar will bubble up as the cream is added.)
Whisk in the butter, and continue whisking until the caramel is smooth and well blended. Cool.
To serve spread the caramel over the top of the cheesecake. Decorate with crushed honeycomb, the 50 g reserved Mediterranean Delicacies Vanilla Halva and caramel sugar shards.
]]>This recipe completely caught me by surprise! Here I am with this beautiful piece of Mediterranean Delicacies' Dutch Goats milk cheese and all I want to do is just eat it in its original form. I do a lot of cooking with soft goats cheese, but never have I even tasted a hard goats cheese - and how delicious! Sweet and creamy, like a sweet Gouda. I knew I wanted to somehow combine this cheese with pears, and when I read about savoury cupcakes the other day, this immediately came to me and I just had to try it. Of course this was very risky, because if the result was to be terrible, I would have wasted this beautiful block of cheese! BUT...it turned out absolutely fantastic!
Ingredients:Method:
For the creamy pear filling:
For the icing:
Method:
Preheat oven to 200C
Combine the grated cheese and chopped peaches
Separate the sheets of Phyllo pastry
Brush your first sheet with butter
Spread a line of the cheese and peach mixture on the edge of the sheet
Now roll the entire sheet until you get a roll, then pinch the ends
Add all the rolls to a buttered baking tray, brush butter over the rolls and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden
Let it cool down, then cut in half and serve. -Your guests will love you and think you are the best thing since freshly baked bread!
]]>Method:
Toast or bake the bread in the oven, rub with the garlic, keeping the cloves for inclusion in the anchovy olive paste.
Set aside. [Or cut a baguette in half lengthwise and each half into two.]
Beat the goat's cheese and set aside.
In a stick blender bowl, place the anchovy fillets, olives, onions, tomato and parsley and blend, but not too finely. Add a touch of red wine vinegar if necessary. Season with the finely ground black pepper.
Spread the goats cheese onto the toasts.
Top with the anchovy olive paste.
Lay two white anchovy fillets like cross on top.
Serve with a small salad.
]]>
There are several versions of ajoblanco, some use leeks, some use raw garlic, this is my version. Most recipes do not ask you to toast the almonds, I feel lightly toasting them intensifies the nutty flavour. Pass the soup through a sieve two to three times, if you like and serve very cold. The volume will decrease but the soup will be smoother. I like a slightly grainy texture, it reminds me that almonds, the star ingredient, were used. Ideally, you would use Spanish almonds, which I brought back from Barcelona earlier this year and used in this recipe(they look different to regular almonds). I used regular flaked almonds for the soup - easier to toast and blend than whole almonds.
Ingredients:Method:
1. In a large bowl, add bread and 1/2 cup water. Allow to soak.
2. In a pot, on medium-low heat add the tablespoon of olive oil and onions. Fry for a minute. Add the garlic and almonds and stir. Do not allow them to catch or burn. When the almonds just start to colour (about 2-3 minutes), remove from heat.
3. Add cubed cucumber, onion and almond mixture and salt. Allow to sit for 20 minutes at least- salt will draw out more water.
4. Add remaining water, vinegar, pepper and olive oil and blend in a processor until smooth. Season.
5. Pass through a sieve 2-3 times. Leave in fridge a few hours or overnight.
6. When ready to serve, sprinkle slices of baguette with coarsely grated hard goat's cheese (or Parmesan) and bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 6-8 minutes or until the bread is brown and crisp. Don't allow the cheese to burn. Serve soup cold with sliced grapes and toasted almonds and the goat cheese croutons to dip. It's so comforting but refreshing at the same time.
]]>Method:
Preheat oven to 180 ° C.
Place fish in a greased oven dish.
Spoon Feta and Herb dip over the fish.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over fish and bake for a further 3 - 5 minutes.
Serve with a crisp garden salad.
]]>Method:
Sear the fillet:
1. Season fillet and sear it in a hot pan. Set aside to cool completely.
Onion time:
2. Caramelise the onions 'til they are soft, sticky and golden.
Liver love:
3. Mix liver, melted butter, black pepper and a dash of red wine so it becomes a smooth, spreadable paste.
Crasins:
4. Soak dried cranberries in hot water until softened.
Put it together:
5. Roll out Puff pastry, don't remove the plastic sheet yet. Smear with liver pate, then onions and sprinkle with cranberries.
Top with cooled fillet and roll the pastry over the fillet and down again tightly. Poke the sides in like a gift, so it is completely sealed. You can use some water as glue. Paint with beaten egg, cut a line in the top of the pastry and bake in a preheated oven at 200° for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the pastry is cooked through and golden.
Chips&Peas:
6. Fry potatoes on each side for about 1 minute and steam your peas for
7. Enjoy. We did.
]]>As a child, I always had a love for the caramel chocolate mint combination of this dessert. I love creamy desserts and this was such an easy one to make for my young hands. That said, I searched through my South African recipe books and couldn't find one recipe for Peppermint Crisp Tart. I'm not sure how I learnt to make it! These days I've added a few new touches to make the dessert a little more modern. Some days I replace the key ingredient of Peppermint Crisp with Mint Aero. I use different biscuits and have even experimented with adding fruit (blackberries are my favourite!). I love serving it in individual portions when I need it to be a little fancier. One of my favourite products under the Mediterranean Delicacies brand is halva. This is a dessert from the Middle East made from sesame seeds and honey. I find halva satisfies the sweet tooth but doesn't send you into a sugar coma. The texture is something different a combination of light and airy with soft and grainy. Besides eating it as is, I've only had it in a halva mousse. I thought it would be fun to use the concept of the mousse and add a little South African flavour, turning it into a Peppermint Crisp tart style dessert. It was a hit! One portion didn't survive the photo shoot! The Cocoa Halva combined with a swirl of caramel and the minty chocolate is just delicious. I made individual portions in glasses which I served after dinner. You're welcome to make a big tart and serve from the dish when required.
Ingredients:Method:
1. In a bowl, whip the cream until stiff.
2. Break the halva into pieces and whip into the cream.
3. In a separate bowl, stir the caramel to soften it.
4. Spoon the caramel into the halva cream mix and gently stir through. You don't want it to mix too well.
5. In a glass jar or dish, pack a layer of tennis biscuits.
6. Top with the halva cream mixture. Leave some to top with.
7. Add a layer of Peppermint Crisp. Save half for the topping.
8. Top with the remaining halva cream.
9. Finish with the remaining Peppermint Crisp. 10. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, until set
]]>If you know anything about me at this stage, it's that I get super uber excited about delicious quick-fixes, and that I could live on linguini for the rest of my days and be as happy as a pig in, well, a pen (?!). Anyway, when the fab foodies over at Mediterranean Delicacies sent a little hamper my way this weekend, I couldn't wait to get started on sharing my new ideas with you. This linguini with the fresh Thai-style zing of the coriander pesto, and the juicy, spicy calamari is, well, epic.
Ingredients:Method: 1. In salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, mix together 2Tbsp olive oil, Mediterranean Delicacies Coriander Pesto and lemon juice, and toss together with the cooked, drained pasta until it is well coated.
3. Also while the pasta is cooking, rinse the squid, drain in a colander and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen towel to dry off. (The drier the squid, the crispier the end result.) Season with the chilli, and a pinch of freshly ground salt and black pepper.
4. In a pan or (preferably) wok, heat about 4Tbsp olive oil, and when it's really hot, fry the squid for 3-4 minutes, until lightly golden and crispy.
5.Toss together with the pasta and serve in warmed bowls with another drizzle of lemon juice, olive oil and chopped fresh coriander.
]]>The Mediterranean Diet is one of the most healthy, delicious diets one could choose to follow. Many of the traditional Greek meals include fishes or meats cooked in olive oil with spices that create a light meal with strong, fresh flavours. One of the most popular Greek foods is chicken souvlaki. Chicken souvlaki is marinated chicken that is grilled on skewers, as the word "souvlaki" in Greek translates to "skewer" in English. This meal is tasty and filling, without leaving you feeling guilty. Try out this recipe for chicken souvlaki, and see what all the Mediterranean has to to offer:
Ingredients:Method: Mix garlic, dill, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a bowl. Whisk the ingredients until the marinade is combined well.
Place chicken in the marinade and leave it to marinate in the bowl for 30 minutes to overnight in the refrigerator.
Once the chicken is finished marinating, heat the grill. Prepare the raw chicken on wooden skewers (add cut pieces of pepper or onions to enhance the meal), and place on the grill until chicken is cooked through (about 10-12 minutes).
Finally, remove chicken from the grill and serve with Mediterranean Delicacies Tzatziki sauce and optional sides of pita bread, grilled vegetables and feta cheese.
Chicken souvlaki is a light meal that is sure to keep you wanting more. Don't feel like you have to give up good food to look good. With so many ways to combine simple sauces, like tzatziki, and fresh products, like chicken and fish, the Mediterranean Diet is the healthy answer to all your dieting needs.
]]>
This is the perfect dish to make over the weekend. So instead of slaving away in the kitchen, why don't you treat your friends to a great classic - a quick homemade steak sandwich!
Ingredients:Method:
1. First there's the marinade... Add 3 tbsp of olive oil, juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper and the chopped jalapeno chillies.
2. Place all the ingredients in a blender (or food processor) and blend. Blend thoroughly on high for 2-3 minutes. This goes beautifully with chicken as well.
3. Rub the steak with the marinade. Not forgetting to season your meat with a generous pinch of salt and pepper beforehand.
4. Then place the steak along with the marinade into a ziplock bag. Marinate meat in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
5. Now on to the onions... This part is relatively easy. Heat oil and butter in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Add the onion slices and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until caramelized. Not forgetting to add the brown sugar halfway through the cooking process to give the onions some sweetness. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Cover to keep warm.
6. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan over high heat. Add 4 tbsp of olive oil and get the oil hot, add your bread, peek, and flip when it's golden brown. Remove when the other side is brown. This takes something like 3 minutes. The bread should be crunchy on the outside and warm & chewy on the inside {like fried toast}. Set aside.
7. Take your steaks out of the fridge and let them get up to room temperature while you toast your bread. Get a frying pan,or a griddle pan or barbecue screaming hot and a good drizzle of olive oil. Get rid of the excess marinade and add the steaks to the pan . Turn every minute and cook until medium doneness or to your liking. 3 minutes on each side for a medium. As it cooks, rub it with a knob of butter for some extra flavor. When the steak is perfectly cooked to your liking, move it to a plate to rest for a few minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minute before cutting thick slices. Set aside any resting juices and resist the urge to eat all the meat.
8.Assemble the steak sandwich starting with a slice toast, followed by the rocket, the caramelized onions, thick rump steak slices and finishing with a drizzle of the basil pesto and the feta on top.
Enjoy. Preferably without any cutlery!
]]>Method:
In a large pan, brown the mince in olive oil then remove from the pan.
Toast the pinenuts in the same pan for a few seconds - keep a watchful eye.
Remove from the pan.
Add a little more oil if needed and fry the onion, garlic, spices and dates until softened and fragrant.
Add the mince and pinenuts back to the pan and stir until evenly combined and heated through.
Remove the mince mixture from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature in a large bowl.
Once cooled, add the feta, fresh herbs and zest - mix until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Celsius.
Generously butter and layer 4 sheets of phyllo on top of one another. Spread the cooled mince mixture out and gently roll into a long sausage shape.
Trim off the edges slightly and with a sharp knife, cut into 4 equal portions.
Place onto a lined baking tray and give the phyllo rolls one last brushing of melted butter.
Sprinkle with a little oregano.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Toss the rocket, pomegranate rubies and red onion together, drizzle with some olive oil and serve with the freshly baked lamb phyllo rolls.
Enjoy with lots of tzatziki and zaatar humus.
]]>Method:
1. Top the toasted English muffins with the smoked salmon ribbons.
2. Top the smoked salmon with the poached eggs.
3. To make the hollandaise, place the egg yolks and lemon juice in a tall container and blend with your hand blender.
4. Whilst blending, slowly drizzle the melted butter into the egg mixture while moving the blender up and down. Continue blending until all the butter has been incorporated and the sauce is thick and glossy. Check the seasoning and adjust.
5. Spoon the hollandaise over the poached eggs and serve.
]]>
Method:
Grate the zucchini and then place in a tea towel and ring out all the liquid, you want these to be as dry as possible.
Put in a bowl and add the flour and coat the zucchini.
Add all the other ingredients and mix to combine.
Heat the oil in a non stick frying pan and fry dollops of the mixture, turning when golden brown on the one side.
Drain on paper towel and serve with fresh lemon wedges and Tzatziki.
For added convenience you can use the delicious and ready made Mediterranean Delicacies Tzatziki
]]>The asparagus from Mediterranean Delicacies adds a hint of sweetness, and helps pack a little undercover vegetables into the dish. If you'd like to make this a truly one-pot-wonder, you can add chickpea, cooked pasta or even any type of pre cooked beans to the sauce before grilling. Whatever you do, please don't ignore the lemon. It's only a tablespoon of zest, but it really does wonders to lift the dish, add flavour and cut through the richness of the cream.
Ingredients:Method:
In a large frying pan, melt the butter over a medium high heat. Once melted add the chicken breast strips and fry until golden on all sides.
Add the cream, and most of the tarragon to the chicken, with some salt to season.
Allow to simmer on a medium heat for 7-10 minutes until the cream has reduced and thickened slightly.
Set your oven to grill - drain the asparagus and lay it evenly at the bottom of a rectangular oven-proof dish - ideally one you'd like to take to the table too.
Spoon over the creamy chicken mixture, then sprinkle over the lemon zest, croutons and pecorino / Parmesan.
Place under the grill for a minute - just until the cheese and croutons and crisped. Serve with chunks of glorious fresh, white bread, or over your choice of cooked pasta.
]]>When I received a few blocks of Mediterranean Delicacies Halva, I knew they would be perfect to make my son's favourite sweet treat even sweeter. Halva means "sweet" and trust me, it is very sweet and I can eat it only in very small quantities. Halva is enjoyed as a sweet confection in the Middle East and can be flour-based or nut based and in this case the halva is made with nuts (sesame), tahini, butter and sugar.
Ingredients:Method:
For cupcakes:
Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and beat for 10 minutes on high speed.
Spoon the batter into 12 cupcake wrappers and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes.
For the frosting:
Beat the butter until light and soft and then start to beat in the icing sugar, 1 spoon at a time.
Lastly add the cocoa and mix properly.
Spoon into a piping bag and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.
Scatter some crumbed Halva on each cupcake.
]]>We used the Mediterranean Delicacies Coriander Pesto while preparing this smoked chicken salad with a mayo & mustard dressing. A great pesto uses coriander, chillies and sesame oil and this has it all! The coriander pesto adds plenty of flavour to the smoked chicken while the dressing gives the salad a light & creamy touch. I hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:Method:
1. Cut cheese into small stripes, half the tomatoes, slice the mushrooms and place all in a large bowl. Mix 'em up!
2. Combine ingredients for the dressing, mix until smooth. Add salt & pepper to taste and combine with the salad.
3. Cut the smoked chicken into stripes and cover in coriander pesto.
4. Place the salad on a plate.
5. Place the smoked chicken stripes on the salad.
6. Eat & Enjoy!
]]>This easy and simple chicken tray bake is packed with the flavors of the Mediterranean and can be made in advance and just cooked in the oven 40-50 minutes before dinner. I think it can also work with fish in which case the feta will just be on top of the fish. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Ingredients:Method: Clean the chicken thighs and pat dry with kitchen toweling. Carefully lift the skin of the chicken on one side and stuff with some crumbed feta. Repeat with all the thighs. Season with the salt, pepper and dry oregano. Place the chicken in a oven-proof dish and all the other ingredients and bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and the chicken is cooked right through. serve on creamy Parmesan mash.
]]>Kingklip and gurnard are some of the best SA fish for frying without their skin on (hake tends to fall apart too easily), but you could use angelfish too. I chose to cook it Mediterranean-style, simply and easily, using tomatoes, olive oil and Mediterranean Delicacies Pimeto Stuffed Olives. It will take you no more than 10 minutes and is out of this world.
Ingredients:Method: Place a pan on medium heat and, once hot, pour in a good glug of olive oil (40ml), add the tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and cover. Cook for 2 minutes.Cut the fish into 2 pieces, season with salt and pepper and add to the pan with the Mediterranean Delicacies olives.Drizzle over a dash more olive oil and cover. Fry for approx 6 minutes, turning once. (To check if the fish is done press it gently with your finger, it should be just firm, gurnard will flake but kingklip won't.)Plate and sprinkle over fresh basil, pour over any juices left in the pan and use the bread to soak them up.
]]>Keeping with my bread-laziness, but still wanting a quick, tasty lunch time snack, I transformed my kilogram of bread dough into a pissaladiere inspired loaf. Traditionally a pizza like dish made in southern France, it is topped with caramelised onions, olives and anchovies - my version has a little added thyme for good measure.
Ingredients:Method: Melt the butter in a medium sized frying pan, add the sliced onions and cook over a medium high heat, until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until evaporated. Add 100ml water to the onions, along with the thyme leaves. Allow to simmer until all the water has evaporated - about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, and cook the onions (while stirring) until the darken in colour and become sticky. Remove from the heat. Heat your oven to 180 degrees C. Place the bread dough in your oven dish of choice - I used my 26cm Le Creuset Buffet Casserole - and stretch it until it is in an even layer. Spoon over the caramelised onions, sprinkle over the olives and lay over the anchovies. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes (depending on the dish used) - it is ready when a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Enjoy at room temperature - this keeps very well and can last at least 2 days if covered.
]]>The charm of this meal is that it really and truly is idiot-proof. My brother could do it...and that's saying a lot because my brother has only mastered toasted sarmies and 2-minute noodles thus far. I used really good quality pork sausages from my butcher which I snipped the ends off and squeezed the meat from the casings. This is such a quick and easy way to get really delicious meatballs as you don't have to do anything with the mixture, it's already seasoned for you. I formed little meatballs and placed them on a baking paper lined sheet and baked them until they were golden brown and cooked through. I wanted something spicy and sweet to go with the salty pork and knew that the Mediterranean Delicacies Jalapeno dip would be just perfect. It's got the right amount of spice to leave your mouth tingling without blowing your head off and has a lovely sweetness to it. I served a crunchy salad of julienned vegetables along with the meatballs, pita breads and jalapeno dip and it was a really lovely, easy meal. Perfect for week night entertaining!
Ingredients:Method: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°c. 2. Form mini meatballs from the pork sausage meat and place on a baking paper-lined baking sheet. 3. Place in the pre-heated oven and allow to cook until golden brown and cooked through. 4. Serve the meatballs with the jalapeno dip, pita breads and salad.
]]>There is always something profoundly satisfying about eating home made bread rolls. Which is fascinating really, because they're so crazy-easy that it makes no sense that we should be so smug each time we tuck into a fresh-from-the-oven doughy delight. But, we do. And I for one don't see the novelty wearing off anytime soon. And when said fresh-from-the-oven doughy delight is paired with this beautifully light but rich Mediterranean Delicacies Smoked Snoek Terrine, the result is kind of amazing. I am pretty sure you'll have no trouble scoffing the spoils of your kitchen labours if you give this a whirl.
Ingredients:Method: 1. Pre-heat oven to 180C and lightly grease a baking tray, and dust with flour, tipping off the excess. 2. In a food processor or large mixing bowl, combine all the bread roll ingredients together until just combined. Then remove the dough and knead it gently on a floured surface for 1-2 minutes (or keep it tidy and knead gently inside a mixing bowl). If the dough is too wet add in a little more flour, it should not stick to your hands excessively. 3. Roll palm-sized balls and place on to the baking tray. Brush with an egg yolk wash if you like. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until golden and a skewer or knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the rolls. 4. Serve the rolls fresh out of the oven with Mediterranean Delicacies Smoked Snoek Terrine on the side.
]]>I've called this the ultimate steak sandwich but it's more of a steak 'bruschetta': an Italian open sandwich, but regardless of the name you choose, it's delicious. I've teamed up with Mediterranean Delicacies to come up with some new and exciting recipes using their products - something that I am going to relish in doing as I do consider their products of the highest quality, their humus changes my life a little every time I taste it.But enough of that, without further ado: The Ultimate steak sandwich with Mediterranean Delicacies basil pesto and mayo.
Ingredients:Method: Making the perfect steak can be very easy when you know how and just as difficult if you don't. To get a thick cut steak perfectly cooked to medium rare:Place a non-stick pan on highest heat on your stove. Season the steaks with salt and pepper.Once the pan is smoking hot, place the rump into the pan and fry, with no oil (the juices from the steak will stop it from sticking and adding oil will simply make the pan smoke), for 2 1/2 minutes on each side, turning only once. If you want the steak 'medium' then 3 1/2 minutes on each side. Set aside on a board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing (this will ensure that the steak stays moist, if you slice it too soon after cooking most of the juices will run from the steak). Toast 4 slices of ciabatta under the grill, then rub the cloves of garlic gently over the bread to impart a subtle garlic flavour.Share the majority of the Mediterranean Delicacies Basil Mayo between the four slices, retaining a little to drizzle over at the end.Slice the meat into strips and lay over the mayonnaise.Season with salt and pepper and spoon over a little more of the basil mayo. Dress with pea shoots or a little rocket and drizzle with olive oil. Devour.
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